Six strings in various forms…
Sounds like vintage Benson, Ritenour and Carlton are delivered by the good Dr. Dave and his Housecall Band. John Rekevic’s flute adds to the breeze of “Carefree” and digs into the R&Bish soul during “GB Style”. The guitar strings get sweet for “Sylvia” and soulful during “Feels So Good”, making you feel you’ve got a vintage CTI session in your hands, while there’s a hint of a Nashville Skyline on the twangy “Late Night With Dr. Dave”. Cecil McBee Jr lays down a hip bass line for the 
fun read of “Don’t Worry Be Happy with some guest vocalists, while Derek Cannon’s muted horn brings in some California Cool for a sleek and polished “Take Five”. Take two every morning and call me in a week.
LA-based guitarist Doug MacDonald is known around town as one of the best of the mainstream six stringers in town. Here, he brings together some of the best of the best session cats in Bill Cunliffe/p-keys, Chuck Berghofer/b, Roy McCurdy/dr and an impressive horn session in Kim Richmond/as, Aaron Janik/tp, Rickey Woodard/ts and Ira Nepus/tb. The teams swings with polished style as on “Night By Night” and sizzles on “Blues By Eight” with MacDonald using space and tension to delightful conclusions. Woodard’s muscular tenor is featured on “Rickey Speaking” with Wrecking Crew original Berghofer digging a deep trench for “Ground Up”. MacDonald shows style and class for the ballad “Lover Man” and waltzes well over McCurdy’s brushes on “Hortense”. LA sounds at its best.
Guitarist James Brown displays a deep and dark tone to his compositions, bringing together Clark Johnston/b, Anthony Michelli/dr and Mike Murley/ts for some earth toned originals. Deep shades of blue are felt on the pulsating “Igor” with Michelli’s cymbals rowing through the thick waters of the ominous “Alystair and I.” Johnston is spotlighted on the gentle and graceful “Nice Folk” while the leader uses edgy effect quite often, as on a clever take of “The Needle and the Damage Done”. Murley’s sax flows easily on “Sands of Swing” and is dreamy for “Song Within The Story”, giving some light within the shadows. Charcoal sketches.
Gentle and understated guitar forms are painted by guitarist Chieli Minucci on this album of a dozen intimate originals. There is a traditional African folk tune that is soft and folksy, made famous in the 1960s in “Someone’s Singing”, but even that is a calm walk in the waters. The strings are harplike on “Church” and “Candlelight” while adding some soft synth sounds to “Dreaming Little Drummer Boy” and “Free Again”, which is augmented by some percussion by George Jinda. A fretless bass by Fernando Saunders adds depth to the luminous “In You Spirit” while Minucci flickers like a candle on “Memories of Mother”. Quiet nights of quiet stars.